By Victor Kanayo
Plans are in advanced stages for the successful hosting of the 2022 West Africa Sitting Volley Championship with teams expected to arrive in Nigeria on Saturday December 10, 2022.
The competition being organised by the West Africa Para-Volley will be hosted by the Nigeria Para-Volleyball Federation.
According to the schedule released by the federation, the technical meeting for participating teams will hold on Sunday December 11 while the Para-Beach Volleyball will be launched in Nigeria on Monday December 12.
Clubs have already been confirmed from the Republic of Benin, Ghana and awaiting confirmation from teams from Sierra Leone who will join teams from Nigeria to compete in the first-ever competition of the West Africa Para-Volley.
“We are excited to be hosting this first edition of the competition which is targeted at promoting health rivalry among countries in West Africa and developing the sport at the regional level. When this was being discussed, Nigeria jumped at the idea of hosting the competition because it is in line with our short, medium and long-term plans as a federation when we got elected a few months ago,” the Federation President Kayode Ladele said.
Explaining the idea behind the competition, he said although the competition does not serve as a qualification for any international tournament, it was the first step of many federations within the West African sub-region to develop the sport within their countries.
“With constant competitions, we will not only expose our athletes to international competitions which will ultimately improve their games, but it will also show the world how amazing our players can be if given the right platform of expression and development,” Ladele concluded.
Only recently, Nigeria separately formed para-sports department, unlike in the past when it was an attachment of main able body sports arrangement.
Shortly after, the first ever para-sports festival held in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital earlier in 2022.
